Religion Explained, or the Fates’ Apology

We began to weave before Eden. One spindled all the colors, of water, clay, and sunrise; one firmed the warp; another lanced the weft. We danced. And God (that dark anger) stepped into our sweet waltz with His Sinai stone word; yet how could we not dance our weave, and so wove such darkness—even mankind … Continue reading Religion Explained, or the Fates’ Apology →

Mary Oddledean Comments on Patience

"The patience," Mary Oddledean wrote in response to the question on the survey, "is what makes this job so wonderful. It don’t matter who brakes the rules or why, everybody weights quietly and politely until things are sordid out. Even during mock-up evacuations, nobody pushes, or shoves, or screams or swears. Especially, they don't swear, … Continue reading Mary Oddledean Comments on Patience →

Bird Woman Speaks

“I don’t suppose anyone here has ever heard of the Olicanucian Flyinitus,” Robin said. The fireplace light flickered and danced in her small obsidian eyes. “No, Robie, no,” Merle said. “These folk don’t need to hear your misadventures in the Pleistocene.” He spoke quickly and his voice trembled, and we sensed in his warning more … Continue reading Bird Woman Speaks →

Marty’s Proposition

One thing you never wanted to do around Marty Malpropiter, if you wanted any sense in a conversation, is let him think the conversation had intellectual underpinnings. As long as you kept to cows, horses, hay, irrigating, barb wire, bowling, football, road building, and such, things went fine. O, Marty may throw in an occasional … Continue reading Marty’s Proposition →

Getting an Earful

And suddenly nothing. Nothing. Zip. Miranda Velositer wasn’t saying anything. Nada. A typical hour with Miranda Velositer consisted of at least sixty-eight minutes— sometimes as much as eighty minutes—of monologue. Reggie Velositer would know. He has spent, by his own calculation, twenty-five million hours, give or take, with Miranda. Twenty-five million interminable hours, most of … Continue reading Getting an Earful →

Why the House at 6123 Flordock Road is Blue

If the goat had not come into the house, nothing would have changed. Meggy and Fore would probably still be married, Dick Alsmond would probably still be alive, and the house at 6123 Flordock Road would probably still be pale beige like all the other houses on Flordock Road. But enter the house the goat … Continue reading Why the House at 6123 Flordock Road is Blue →

A Madman, an Architect, a Barber and a Clown Walk into a Fourth Dimension.

“So,” said the madman at the table, “Today’s topic appears to be Courage.” He said it with a capital because that is the way it appeared to appear. The clown and the architect looked at the clock. The architect was thinking about meeting his mistress in an hour. He was irritating on the monstrosity who … Continue reading A Madman, an Architect, a Barber and a Clown Walk into a Fourth Dimension. →